1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to securement devices, primarily for open or closed trailers pulled by trucks or vehicles in transporting and stabilizing, as an example, dirt bikes or other cargo.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art illustrates various securement devices for removeably securing cargo or a load on one or more tracks at preselected positions along the track. Such devices are used in open trailers, open trucks, closed trucks and aircrafts, to name a few vehicles. One prior art device is illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 of the patent drawings. The track includes a unitary body having a longitudinal axis including a raised center portion and a pair of laterally outwardly extending flanges which extend lengthwise parallel to the longitudinal axis. The track has in the center portion longitudinally spaced, transversely extending slots which are adapted to receive anchoring clips. This prior art device has utility in certain applications but is not useful to tie down various vehicles or dirt bikes having tires on open trailers or in enclosed vehicles. Currently the wheel chock is positioned around the tire of the dirt bike and is held or fastened by bolts directly to the wood floor of the trailer. It is extremely difficult to securely tie a number of dirt bikes on the wood floor of the trailer. This is particularly true when you have different size dirt bikes and when it is necessary to change bikes. This procedure could take hours to reset the wheel chocks and to tie or secure the dirt bikes to the floor of the trailer. The novel track of the present invention permits the dirt bikes to be mounted rapidly and expeditiously on the floor of the trailer to which the track is mounted and to be quickly removed for use.
As with the tracks of the present invention, the tracks of the prior art may be mounted either horizontally or vertically and used with various anchor fittings for removeably attaching objects to the floor or wall of the vehicle or garage. Such devices are described, for example, in the following patents: Prete Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,637, Sep. 20, 1971 entitled “Anchor Fitting for Securing Loads to a Retainer Track”; Prete, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,218, May 31, 1977 entitled “Rattle Proof Anchor Fitting for Securing Loads to a Retainer Track”; Weik, U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,043, Jul. 7, 1981 entitled “Locking Assembly for Aircraft Seat”; Banks, U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,522, Mar. 15, 1983 entitled “Aircraft Seat”; Matthews, U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,769, Jul. 25, 1989 entitled “Tie-Down Device”; Loyd, U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,623, Sep. 19, 1989 entitled “Ring Fitting for Dunnage Track”; Jensen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,992, Nov. 30, 1993 entitled “Tie Down Fitting for Retaining Objects to the Floor or Side Wall of a Vehicle”; Looker et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,452, Mar. 11, 1997 entitled “Cargo Track Fitting”; Ehrlich, U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,791, May 19, 1998 entitled “Cargo Securement Assembly”; and Looker et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,978, Jun. 16, 1998 entitled “Cargo Tracking Fitting”. Various types of prior art slotted tracks of different configurations are disclosed. Some structures comprise an elongated track member having spaced notches or slots formed therein. Various types of anchor fittings have been developed to fit in the track structures. The prior art devices while providing good retaining action in the track, generally lack the ease and rapidity of installation required for rapidly storing and removing cargo such as dirt bikes from the trailer.